"I had a really great time tonight." Draco said, his voice only a few decimals louder then a murmur, after Harry aparated them to outside of his house.
Harry hugged the teddy bear that Draco had won for him to his chest. "I had a great time too, Draco." He blushed lightly, still trying to get over the feeling that he was in school.
Draco ran a fingertip along Harry's cheek, outlining the pink softly, "You have a cute blush."
This comment only seemed to make his blush deeper. "Thank you. I.. umm.." He trailed off. "We should do it again." It was almost a whisper but it seemed to carry.
"I'd like that." Draco smiled, "So, I er..." Draco took a deep breath, "Can I kiss you goodnight?"
Harry grinned. "You don't have to ask." Harry took a step forward, hesitated then leaned up so that his lips met Draco's. The contact send shivers down his back that made him just want to eat the blondes lips. But instad he just reached up with his arms and ran his free hand through Draco's hair.
Draco pressed closer and wrapped his arms around Harry's back, one hand resting inbetween his shoulder blades, the other at the small of his back. He nipped at Harry's bottom lip before suckling at it gently in apology.
"oooOOOOoooohhh!" Twin voices taunted.
Harry's eyes shot open and he pulled away from Draco blushing madly. "Ince, Kaden! What are you two still doing up?"
The boys, who looked identical not only to each other but to Harry also, looked at each other and smiled innocently.
"We were going to go to bed but..."
"Then this... um.."
"Giant paint monster..."
"Flew through the window and..."
"Told us if we didn't do his bidding he'd..."
"Repaint the living room..."
"And so..." Two hands came out from behind them and clamped over their mouths.
Vladimir stepped out of the shadows and gave Draco a superior look before turning to his father. "What they mean is that they repainted the living room when I was reading to Loki and I made them stay up to clean it."
Draco looked at Harry's kids and then back at Harry, "Maybe I should just go..."
Harry turned to Draco and smiled. "No, it's fine. Vlad take the twins up stairs, I'll be in soon."
Vladimir's eye twitched. "Fine. Ince, Kaden up to your room." Vlad put his hands on their shoulders giving Draco another hate filled look before disappearing up the stairs, dragging the complaining twins the whole way.
Draco winced a bit as he watched Vladimir head inside, "I don't think your son likes me all that much."
Harry smiled up at Draco. "Oh he doesn't like anybody but Blaise. He fought to go with him, but Blaise didn't want anything to do with him." Harry's smile faltered. "So he ended up staying here. I love hiim to death but lately I wish he would just get over his stick up the ass attitude." At that he laughed. "Ah, but no sense dwelling in the past, so... When do you want to meet again?"
Draco shrugged, "Well, I'm pretty much free anytime. I work out of the house and the kids are home schooled at the moment so it's not like anything will be cutting into personal time with them."
Harry nodded smiling. "Anytime is fine with me too. But I'd have to know ahead of time. I can't always have Vladimir baby sit." Harry smiled. "I'm free tomorrow."
"So am I. Anything specific you have in mind?"
"I was thinking dinner and a movie? My treat?" Harry grabbed lightly at the front of Draco's shirt.
Draco covered Harry's hand with his own, "I'd like that."
Smiling, Harry leaned up and gave him another kiss, this time just brushing his lips against Draco's.
Draco kissed back just as gently placing his free hand on Harry's shoulder.
Blushing Harry pulled back and rested his head on Draco's shoulder. "I had a lovely time tonight. Tomorrow seems like a long time from now, but I really should go in." He wrapped his arms around Draco's waist and smiled.
"Yes, I should probably go as well. If I'm lucky the kids behaved themselves and went to bed nicely for my parents." Draco said, smiling in return.
Harry nodded. "Yeah." Reluctantly he pulled away from Draco's embrace, which was harder then he thought it would be. "See you tomorrow."
Draco kissed Harry's forehead, "What time and where are we meeting? Or should I stop and pick you up?"
Harry bit his lip in thought. "You can pick me up." Harry smiled.
"Time?"
"Five. Sound good?"
Draco nodded, "Sounds fine." He gave Harry one more quick kiss, "So tomorrow at five. Goodnight."
"Night."
With one last smile and lingering glance at Harry, Draco apparated home.
Harry watched as Draco disaperated and smiled a big cat like grin. For the first time in a long time he felt lighter then air like he could float on the clouds.
"Yes!" He sung out lightly dancing around his porch clutching to his heart the small teddy bear.
"You sure look happy."
Harry jumped and let out a small squeak. "Vlad! you scared me... Again! Are you trying to give me a heart attack!"
Vlad's lip tugged upward. "And have to take care of the twins myself? Not likely."
Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around Vlad. "I had the most amazing night." He whispered.
Vladimir returned the hug, but his face was hard. "Are you going to go out with him again?" He asked lightly.
Harry frowned and pulled back. "Yes." Harry's frown deepened. "Vlad what's wrong?"
"I don't want you to. He's a Malfoy." Vlad gave Harry a hurt look. "I've heard stories about them and how they are bad people. Did you know that his husband died in a bar fight and that they never found the killer? I bet he hired them to kill him."
Harry let go of Vlad and shook his head. "How could you say that? Yes, they can be bad, but all people can! They helped us through the war and Lucius named many death eaters during and after the war. Yes, they both did wrong, but people can change and you can forgive them!" Harry was shaking lightly.
Vlad faced the ground and wiped one of his eyes before looking straight into his fathers green ones. "Then why won't you forgive dad!" He yelled. "If you really do believe that people can change why don't you believe that dad can too..."
"Blaise?" Harry started breathing harder. "I gave him chances! I forgave him for fourteen years Vladimir!" Harry yelled back at his oldest. "How do you think I felt when he would come home in the middle of the night drunk off his ass missing half of his clothing only to have some random guy floo the next day telling me to tell Blaise that he had fun, and that he couldn't wait till that night." Harry was crying by now and he shook his head turning away for his son. "You have some twisted, messed up idea that your dads some kind of a god or something! You need to get over it! He left us, Vladimir. I didn't leave him." Harry bit his lip and whipped around. "I was faithful, I did love your father, but love can only be stretched so far before it starts to run out!"
Harry shook his head and grabbed Vlads arms. "Just because he let you go with him to parties, and gave you fun things randomly throughout the year, does not make him a father. He didn't even know how old you were! Didn't care! When you wanted to go with him, I know I told you that I got you because I wanted you to be with the twins and Loki and I would miss you too much. But that's not the whole truth! Blaise didn't want you! He didn't want anything to do with you or us anymore. You want to know what he did? Hm? He gave me a whole bunch of money to make sure that he wouldn't have to. He wants nothing to do with us."
Vlad's head felt like bursting. How could Blaise not want him? How could he leave us and never wanted to see us again. "I don't believe you. I won't." He ripped his arms away and ran up the stairs.
Harry watched and winced as the sound of a door slamming sounded through the house. He brought he hands up to rub his face and found that the little bear was still clutched to it. "I shouldn't have told him that, should I?" He asked crying a little more as he gave it a hug. "Ah well, what's done is done."
Closing the door to the house as quietly as he could he started the journey up the stairs.
Draco stepped into the house and quietly shut the door. Granted, the manor was large and the chance of anyone hearing him were definitely slim to none, he didn't want to take any chances if the kids were down for the night. Heading up the main staircase off the entry hall, he began to loosen his tie. When he reached the second floor he headed down the hall to his right, stopping at the first door he came too. Opening it a crack, he slipped inside and quickly shut the door behind him.
In the soft light coming from the floating night orb in the corner, Draco wound his way through stuffed animals and coloring sticks and parchment. Coming to a stop at the side of the crib currently holding his youngest daughter.
Ambrosia was currently laying out on her tummy, rear up in the air and knees tucked up. Her blond hair was sticking up in tufts around the top of the ear that was visible and along the back of her head. She was sound asleep, sucking on her thumb contentedly, small, snuffling snores falling out around her thumb.
Draco smiled and brushed his finger along her cheek before straightening and heading back out into the hallway. He walked across the hall and stepped just as quietly into his elder daughters room. Calliope, while very quiet and reserved in nature, was a spoiled little girl. His own mother thought that Calliope was just the most adorable thing in the world, especially since she was the first female Malfoy born in over a hundred years.
Calliope was spread out on her pink canopied bed, arms and legs flung out on both sides of her, blankets half tangled at the end of the bed. Draco re-covered her and kissed the top of her head softly, while whispering a quiet goodnight against her honey blond hair.
The next room he checked was Braden's. His youngest boy's head was hanging off his bed, mouth wide open and snoring like a train. Draco had to hold back a chuckle as his son suddenly gave a whistling breath instead of a snore. Shaking his head, he hoisted Braden back onto the bed and his pillow, even though he knew Braden would be back in the position he found him in by morning.
Wandering further down the hallway, he instantly knew that his two eldest were awake. The light was shining out from under Ren's door, and he could hear muted talking. Opening the door he poked his head in, "Shouldn't you two be in bed?"
"Dad? When did you get home?" Derek asked, looking up from a spread of parchment's he and Ren were pursuing.
"Not ten minutes ago." Draco replied, leaning against the door frame.
"Who'd you go out with?"
"Harry Potter."
"Did you have fun?" Ren finally asked, stopping his brother from saying anything.
Draco nodded, "I did." He looked at the clock ticking away on the far wall, "You have thirty minutes to finish whatever it is that you're doing, then it's lights out. I'll be back to tuck you in." He straighten up and shut the door behind him before heading back down the hallway in search of his father.
A/N: R&R PLEASE!
